In the early months of 2017, there were multiple complaints filed with the city about the construction possibly destabilizing the building next door — 249 E. Second St. There was a partial stop-work order issued in April 2017 when No. 249 reportedly shifted.

Workers apparently shored up No. 249 with a labyrinth of beams. Still, there are issues. Per one compliant filed last Thursday (in the ALL-CAP DOB style): "THERE IS CONSTRUCTION TAKING PLACE IN THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR TO MY BUILDING THAT IS CAUSING MY BUILDING TO SHAKE AND BOOKS TO FALL OFF THE SHELVES."

Until last week, not much has happened at the lot since the spring. Some time in the late summer, workers blocked off half of Second Street at Avenue C to house construction-related vehicles, suggesting that work would be starting up soon. Neighbors reported seeing an occasional worker drop off supplies or walk the lot, but not much else.

[Photo from Dec. 22]

A few random photos from late summer and early fall showing some inactivity...

The rendering on the plywood currently looks like this...

Back in August, NY Yimby posted a modified look at the building... there's a roof deck now...

[Rotwein + Blake Architects]

As NYY pointed out, SLCE Architects is the architect of record, but Rotwein + Blake Architects created the design for 11 Avenue C. Per the Rotwein + Blake website:

The narrow triangular site, presented numerous challenges from its odd shape to zoning constraints, Rotwein + Blake crafted a well thought-out solution to maximize potential development opportunity for the client. At ten stories, the building will have 4,600 SF of ground level retail, 45 residential apartments and a landscaped roof terrace.

The buildings retail component engages the more lively Houston Street side on a pedestrian level, with an abundance of storefront glass, awnings and stone details, while the residential entrance on 2nd Street, creates a more private and embracing gesture. The brick and zinc façade blend a modern twist to a historic warehouse style, reminiscent of the now, chic residential adaptive reuse projects of Soho and Tribeca.

In November, we received a news release about the developers securing a $30 million loan for the site. Here's part of that release:

Richard Bassuk, Chief Executive Officer, and Drew Fletcher, President, of Greystone Bassuk, today announced the closing of a $30,000,000 construction loan with Bank Hapoalim USA on behalf of an affiliate of BLDG Management Company, Inc. (“BLDG”) for the development of a 45-unit luxury rental apartment building located at 11 Avenue C in the East Village. Greystone Bassuk Managing Director, Matt Klauer, also assisted in the debt placement for the transaction.

The Project is located on a thru-block, irregular site bounded by East Houston Street, Avenue C and East 2nd Street in a highly desirable and underserved section of the East Village. Once complete, the Project will be a 10-story, best-in-class apartment building with approximately 55,000 gross square feet and 4,100 square feet of prime street level retail. Catering to today’s millennial renter, the Project will offer an exclusive, boutique living experience with a lifestyle-focused set of amenities. The residential units will have generous layouts with high-end condo-quality finishes, and several of the apartments will also have private outdoor space, a unique offering in the neighborhood.

"...a well thought-out solution to maximize potential development opportunity for the client" - note there is no thought taken for the neighbors or surrounding area, just a focus on how much money the "client" will make. And if this featureless cheese box is their idea of well thought-out, I'd hate to see what they think of as butt plug-ugly.

Years ago, I saw a tongue-in-cheek book that featured all of Trump's ugly black box buildings and challenged you to tell them apart and match the building with the address as they all looked the same. I guess the joke's on us as the whole city is looking the same. Soon, you will get lost on your own block because it looks exactly like all the others.

Construction really needs to slow down. It's ironic all the advertising verbiage is about the greatness of said neighborhood and tree-lined blocks, yet a big construction project like this is a sensory inconvenience for years. Making things at times unbearable for us surrounding residents, then nice again for the new well-heeled residents when its done. One slap in the face after another.

Fuck this basic ass corny boring glass building and all the douches that will go to it. And soon, so many will be empty and cheap, because there is so much of this ugly garbage being built. I hope it get stalled for a very long time.

These descriptions put forth by the developers come off like buzzword vomit. They have become parodies of themselves.

If anything, the way all this hyper-development and the resulting tower pestilence reveals is that Trump was truly a pioneer for he was the first to take advantage by buying influence on the people elected to serve the public to get his behemoths and his celebrity built.

I have lived in 249 E. 2nd Street for more than 22 years. There are 20 small studio ‘efficiency’ units out of which only three are rent stabilized. The developers of the building next door originally considered buying 249 E. 2nd Street in order to empty it of tenants but in the end decided it would take too long. They may regret that decision now. The current situation began almost a year ago when the city ruled on 3/21/2017, the construction in the adjacent lot damaged 249 E. 2nd Street. The city’s ECB Violation report ( DOB Violation Number 032117EX103JT04 and readily viewable online at the DOB site ) cited Noble Construction GR LLC of 1 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, NY, for “FAILURE TO SAFEGUARD ALL PERSONS AND PROPERTY AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS NOTED: THAT DURING DRILLING OPERATIONS AT CONSTRUCTION SITE CONTRACTOR CREATED DAMAGES TO THE ADJOINING FOUNDATION OF BUILDING 249.” A violation categorized as “Aggravated Offense Level 2.” There was a partial stop work order. The construction company could not do any more work accept to perform abatements of the damage it had done to 249 E. 2nd Street. Evidence of the damage was plentiful in the numerous prominent cracks in interior hallway walls and around door jambs, the sure sign of the building having shifted. The construction company was required to do assessments and abatements of the damage. The landlord of 249 E. 2nd Street, Mag Realy/249 E. 2nd Street Realty, of Brooklyn, is now obviously in bed with the construction company and has been collecting a lot of insurance money. The landlord of 249 has kept up to as many as 6 units out of 20 vacant while upgrading them. Most likely to rent out at higher than market rate once the pile driving is complete next door. Other extensive repairs have been done to the interior basement wall on the east side of the building entailing work on the heating system boiler also.When last week’s pile driving began it was so severe tenants in four surrounding buildings spontaneously gathered in the street to discuss a collective action to thwart the construction activity and set off a flood of complaints to the DOB through the city’s 311 complaint phone line. Which is what originally brought the inspection that resulted in the previous violation citation. 249 E. 2nd Street now has surveyor’s gauges permanently affixed to key parts of the exterior, and ‘crack monitors’ on the interior hallway damage, to facility monitoring of the ongoing situation. Almost every day surveyors are taking readings to catch any further building damage. Where this will end is anyone’s guess. But there is absolutely no mistaking the danger to the tenancies of the current occupants of 249 E. 2nd Street.

Dear neighbor at 249 e 2nd, swing on by 283 east houston and check out our crack meter on the front stoop. Off the charts, yet the construction continues. It’s been ongoing for over a year. I feel your pain. It’s difficult to get one’s bearings without a safe place to stop and think your own thoughts. Sure, I’m fortunate to have a home but these are still difficult conditions.

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